YOUR TALENTS AND GODLINESS

Newsletter 151 August 2, 2009

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Chapter twelve begins with the words, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1.) We all possess a gene pool which enables us to accomplish some tasks better than others. We call this our talents. Some persons are talented singers, talented in the field of mathematics, talented sportsmen, or perhaps, very extroverted in personality, as examples. We were born with the potential of developing those abilities. From the beginning, God gave us those abilities, because he had different tasks in mind for us to be used in his work.

Jesus used the human body as an example of the church. The body has many different parts, and each has a place in the whole. If any one part malfunctions, the whole suffers. Some seem more important than others, but all are equally needed. It is because of this that he begins the next paragraph, “For I say.”

Romans 12:3-15 King James Version

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 1:5, Romans 15:15, 1 Corinthians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Galatians 2:9, Ephesians 3:7, Romans 11:20, Romans 12:16, 1 Corinthians 7:17, 2 Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 4:7, 1 Peter 4:11.)
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 4:16.)
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (1 Corinthians 10:17, 1 Corinthians 10:33, 1 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 4:25)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaches, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorts, on exhortation: he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (2 Corinthians 6:6, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Timothy 5:21)
10 Be kindly affections one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; (John 13:34, 1 Timothy 4:9, Hebrews 13:1, 2 Peter 1:7, Romans 13:7, Philippians 2:3, 1 Peter 2:17)
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (Acts 18:25, Acts 20:19)
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (Romans 5:2, Hebrews 10:32, Hebrews 10:36, Acts 1:14)
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. (Romans 15:25, 1 Corinthians 16:15, 2 Corinthians 9:1, Hebrews 6:10, Matthew 25:35, 1 Timothy 3:2)
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28, 1 Corinthians 4:12)
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (Job 30:25, Hebrews 13:3)

Particularly talented persons have no reason to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. God enables us to perform certain tasks, whether we be a cleaner, a greeter, or a minister, we are all bondservants. We have been enabled, and then have been bought with a price. We are “bond servants,” bought with the blood of Christ for a certain work. We have an assignment, just as Christ had a task of which he said, “It is finished” when he had given his life.

Pride, self righteousness, or jealousy have no place in the mind of a true servant of God. “Climbing the ladder of success,” is the way the world operates, not God’s way.

Can we say “Our task is finished.” If so, we can also sincerely say, “Come Lord Jesus.” and he will reply, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12.

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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2009

AUGUST

2nd. Sunday – Chronicles 2,3, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Psalm 90:1-10
3rd. Monday – Chronicles 4,5, 1 Corinthians 2, Psalm 90:11-17
4th. Tuesday – Chronicles 6, 1 Corinthians 3, Proverbs 19:1-10 5th. Wednesday – Chronicles 7,8, 1 Corinthians 4, Psalm 91:1-8
6th. Thursday – 1 Chronicles 9,10, 1 Corinthians 5, Psalm 91:9-16
7th. Friday – 1 Chronicles 11,12, 1 Corinthians 6, Psalm 92
8th. Saturday – 1 Chronicles 13,14,15, 1 Corinthians 7:1-18, Proverbs 19:11-20
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THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE

"For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“

Romans 8:28
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Beauty and the Beast...

When Bob found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a woman to enjoy it with. So one evening he went to a singles bar where he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her natural beauty took his breath away. "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said as he walked up to her, "but in just a week or two my father will die, and I'll inherit 20 million dollars."

Impressed, the woman went home with him that evening.

Three days later, she became his stepmother.

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